Box making machine



July 15, 1941. c; A, MOELLER 2,249,432

. BOX MAKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 12, 1940 16 INVENTORI.

I CM Q- Patented July 15, 1941 2,249,432. BOX MAKING MACHINE Carl A. Moeller, Randolph, Mass, assignor to Norfolk Paper 00., Inc., Randolph, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 12, 1940, Serial No. 318,480

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a box making machine.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved construction of a box form.- ing machine adapted among other uses for the manufacture of paper boxes or covers of the type forming the subject matter of the United States patent to M. B. Claff No. 1,579,646, issued April 6, 1926, and the invention seeks to reduce excessive strain or jar incident to the operation of such machines whereby the life of the machine may be prolonged.

With this general object in view and suchothers as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the box forming machine and in the various structures, arrangements, and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawing illustrating the preferred form of the invention, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1; partly in cross-section; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a portion of the machine shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a detail in cross-section to be referred to; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the portion of the machine shown in Fig. 4.

In the machine illustrated in the United States patent to Clafi and Joplin, No. 1,721,431, for making paper boxes of the construction shown in said. I Clafi Patent No. 1,579,646, provision is made for forming the separate blanks from which the box is constructed from supply rolls of fibrous box forming material and for positioning the separate blanks between a plunger and a pocket, by which,

in the operation of the machine, they are assembled in box forming relation. The pocket preferably comprises one of a series of similar members mounted upon a rotatable spider, and provision is made for completing the formation of they box while the spider is rotated to successive stations and finally the completed box is ejected from the machine.

Inasmuch as the different features of the present invention refer particularly to the mechanism for positioning the separate blank members, only suficient portions of the complete boxmachine have been herein illustrated and-Will be described as appear to be necessary for a complete understanding of the present invention, reference being made to said Patent No. 1,721,431.

As illustrated in said patent, during the process of: assembling the separate blanks into box forming relationship, the end wall forming blanks are brought into position above the pocket by grippers whichoperate to advance'the end-blank from a position where the blank has been severed to a position beneath the body blank. The grippers are mounted upon slide members and in the operation of. the machine, the slide members are reciprocated at a very high rate of speed. Each slide member wa arranged to come up against a fixed metal stop in order to position the end blanks in definite relationship with the body blank. As a result of this construction, during reciprocation the slide members brought up against the stop members with severe blows and the constant repetition of these shocks tended to set up excessive vibration and caused wear and strain upon the supporting members, and in some instances, resulted in breakage of some of the parts. The excessive noise resulting from this construction was also very objectionable.

The present invention aims to provide a construction of machine in which the separate blank members are positioned in a manner such as to substantially eliminate the shock and vibration resulting from the sudden stopping of the gripper slide members and for minimizing the wear and strain upon the supporting members to the end 25- that the life of the machine may be greatly prolonged and quiet operation assured.

Referring now to the drawing, and as illustrated in the above mentioned Clair and Joplin Patent No. 1,721,431, the body blank I 0, previously punched and scored, is fed into position on a table l2 under a plunger [4 and over a pocket IS. The body blank is positioned between guides I8, 20 and stops 22, 24, on the table l2 preparatory to being assembled with the end members.

* Simultaneously therewith, the end members 26 are carried forward into position over the ends of the pocket and beneath the body blank by a transfer mechanism indicated generally at 36. The end members 26 have previously been scored, supplied with adhesive upon their upper faces, and cut off to a suitable length by a reciprocatory shear 32' cooperating with a stationary shearing member 34'. After the separate members of the box have been positioned as above described, the plunger or forming block l4 descends forcing the blanks into the'pocket [6 to form the box.

In order to'shape up the body blank Ill before entering the pocket I6, the blank is first passed through a forming mechanism indicated generally at 28. When the block descends it engages that portion of the blank from which the bottom of the box is to be formed and as it passes through the'forming mechanism the sides and ends of the blank are turned up'at right angles. Upon continued downward movement of the block M, themember 46 is reciprocatingly mounted upon a.

fixed guide rail 48 supported from the machine frame by brackets 50.

When the end blanks are severed from the strips, the transfer mechanism is in a position adjacent the shear members 32, and 34 so that the order to retain the gripper points in contact with the end members during the descent of the forming block M. The yieldable mounting comprises a spring 10 coiled about the outer end of the link 62 between a swivel 12 mounted in the lever 64 and a collar 14 fixed to the end of the link 62. A second collar 76 adjustably mounted on the rod on the other side of the swivel 12 serves to hold the spring 10 under tension and to limit the movement of the slide member during its return stroke.

In accordance with the present invention, a

. resilient stop is provided against which each slide ends of the strips which are severed to form the is attached to the end of a threaded rod 84 adend blanks rest upon shelves 52 of the transfer mechanism. Just before the ends of the strips are severed to form the blanks, the gripper points 40 are brought into contact with the ends of the strips resting on the shelves 52 in order to retain the blanks on the shelves after they are cut from the strips.

Provision is made for first causing the gripper points 40 to grip the end blanks as previously described and then move the slide members from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, to the position shown in broken lines. As herein shown segmental bevel pinions 54 secured to the ends of the shafts 44 mesh with bevel pinions 56 formed on the hubs of arms 58 pivotally mounted on studs 66 secured to the slide member 46. The outer ends of the arms 58 are connected by links 62 to the lower ends of the levers 64 secured to a shaft 66 journalled in the machine frame. The shaft 66 is rocked, through suitable connections, not shown, and when the links 62 are moved to the right, Fig. 2, the arms 58 will be moved to the right, and the shaft 44 will be rotated in a clockwise direction, see Fig. 3, so as to bring the gripper points to the position shown in that figure. Further movement of the link to the right will carry the slide members 44 to the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2, so as to transfer the end blanks into position over the ends of the pockets l6. An end blank 26 is shown in such position in Fig. 3. It will be understood that this figure shows but one of the transfer mechanisms and that there is a similar mechanism on the other end of the pocket [6 to simultaneously feed another end blank into position over that end of the pocket. Spring pressed friction plates 68 which bear against the bottom of the guide rails 48 are provided in order that the first portion of the movement of the arms 58 and links 62 may be utilized to cause the gripper points to grip the end blanks in the manner described and thereafter permit movement of the slide members.

From the description thus far, it will be seen that in the operation of the machine, the slide members are reciprocated during each cycle of operation of the machine to carry the end members into box forming relation with a body blank. As hereinbefore described, in the machine i1- lustrated in the Claff and Joplin patent above referred to, the movement of each slide member was interrupted when it came into contact with a stop member in order to position the blank in the desired relationship with the body blank. As herein shown, the link 62 is yieldably mounted to the end of the lever 64 so that when the slide comes against a stop, the yieldable connection will provide a constant pull on the arm 58 in member 46 comes to rest at the end of its forward or end member blank carrying stroke. As herein shown,'each stop member comprises a resilient pad secured to a swivelly mounted backing member 82.

The backing member 82 justably mounted in a threaded member 86 secured to the fixed guide rail 48 by a screw 90. Provision is made for adjusting the stop and as herein shown, the rod 84 is extendedto an accessible position outside the machine and is provided with a handle 92 at its outer end. An arm 94 fast on a shaft 96 is provided tosupport the rod atgits extended end. After adjustment of the stop is made by turning the handle 92, thearm 94 may be clamped upon the rod to prevent it from turning and getting out of adjustment. The backing member 82 is swivelly attached to a shouldered portion 98 on the rod and is re.- tained in position by a disk I00 riveted to the end of the rod. The disk I00 is set into a recess I02 provided in the backing member 82.

After the plunger l4 has descended into the effect the retraction of the slide member to the position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 2.

From the above description it will be seen that the provision of the resilient stop members for the transfer mechanism will be effective in reducing the shock upon the mechanismand its associated parts, particularly the supporting members 50' upon which the guide rails are mounted. It will also be seen that in the operation of the machine, vibration will .be reduced to a minimum and excessive noise eliminated to the end that the parts may be maintained in their adjusted relationship and most efficient operating condition.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a box making machine of the character between the pocket and plunger and in box forming relation to said body blank, said last named means including reciprocatory slide members having means for gripping and carrying said end members, resilient stop members for terminating the movement of said slide members when said end blanks are advanced to box forming position, and an adjustable mounting for each of said stop members comprising a threaded rod upon one end of which the stop member is swivelly mounted, a relatively stationary supporting member disposed adjacent said stop and through which said threaded rod extends, and means disposed at the other end of said rod to facilitate rotation thereof whereby to efiect adjustment of said stop with relation to its respective slide memher.

2. In a box forming machine of the character described, in combination, a box forming pocket and a reciprocatory plunger insertable into said pocket for forming a box, means for forming and conveying a plurality of blanks including a body blank and separate end blanks into box forming position between said plunger and pocket, said end blank conveying means comprising slide members adapted to be reciprocated at a relatively high speed, rubber stops for terminating the movement of said end blank carrying members when said end blanks are advanced to box forming position whereby to absorb and diminish the shock normally occasioned by such termination, and an adjustable mounting for each of said stop members comprising an elongated threaded rod upon one end of which the stop member is swivelly mounted, a relatively stationary supporting member disposed adjacent said stop and through which said threaded rod extends, a handle at the other end of said rod and remote from said stop by which the rod may be rotated to effect adjustment of the stop with relation to its respective slide member, and a second support for the rod adjacent said handle adapted to retain said rod in its adjusted position.

3. In a box making machine, means for assembling a body blank and separate end blanks in box forming relation, including reciprocatory slide members having means for gripping and carrying said end members, resilient stop members for terminating the movement of said slide members when said end blanks are advanced to box forming position, and an adjustable mounting for each of'said stop members having means remote from and operatively connected to said stop member for manually adjusting the same with relation to its respective slide member.

CARL A. MOELLER. 

